All posts tagged Heron Tower

Gerald Ronson, the doyen of Britain’s property industry, stood taller today than perhaps ever before. For here he is atop Heron International‘s Heron Tower, the City’s tallest building at 110 Bishopsgate, close to Liverpool Street station. To his right is Skanska’s Johan Karlstrom.

Today was the ‘topping out’ ceremony, and the 202 meter tower, with 46 storey’s, is being constructed by Skanska and is on schedule to be completed in February 2011.

Ronson told a crowd of vertigo-fighting admirers:

Today we begin the countdown to completion that is less than 50 weeks away. Whether this is by luck or judgment, I believe that Heron Tower has come to market at the right time. As we top out today, Heron Tower is the tallest building in the City of London – I am sure that others will grow up around it that are taller. However I am confident that this will remain the finest office development of its kind in the City of London for many years to come.

Given property developers are not known for their small egos, it probably won’t be long before an even taller tower graces London’s skyline.

Gerald Ronson, the doyen of development and Heron’s straight-talking boss, is determined to lure hedge fund managers from their Mayfair hub. He reckons the 462,000 sq ft tower will be of such high quality that it will be ideal for hedge funds wanting iconic space in the Square Mile.

It will also host a shark–yep this is no joke–so hedgies will feel right at home.

According to my colleague Darren Lazarus of Financial News, Heron has declined to give more detail on the shark, other than it will be 1.2 metres long and not a Great White. (Shame.)

But the shark will live in a 70,000 litre aquarium, which will be a special feature of the tower’s “bling”. The aquarium will also house 1,300 (probably terrified) fish.